One in seven Italians scrapes by on less than 1,000 euros ($1,409) a month and roughly one in 20 lives in absolute poverty, unable to maintain a minimum standard of living, the national statistics agency said on Thursday.

The proportion of Italians living in relative poverty -- defined as monthly spending of 999.67 euros or less -- rose last year to 13.6 percent of the population or 8.78 million people, the ISTAT agency said.

That was up from 12.8 percent in 2007, with the country's economically depressed south bearing the brunt. Families with more than three children, young bread winners or elderly relatives were among the groups worst affected.

In southern Italy, 26.7 percent of individuals were living in relative poverty. That was more than three times the level in central Italy (8.1 percent), and four times the rate in the north (5.9 percent).

The number of people living in absolute poverty -- not enough to buy even the basic basket of goods required for a minimum standard of living -- rose to 2.9 million or 4.9 percent of the population, up 0.8 percentage point in a year.

The proportion of people living in absolute poverty was far higher in southern Italy: it climbed to 8.1 percent last year from 6.0 percent in 2007.